Yentl, starring Barbara
Streisand as Yentl and Mandy Patinkin as Avigdor, was a
musical drama released in 1983. The film received
mostly positive reviews back in the day, and was very
successful at the box office. The writer of the poem,
“Yentl the Yeshiva Boy”, for which the film was based,
did not like the adaptation at all.

In this movie, a Polish,
Jewish woman named Yentl Mendel (Streisand) disguises
herself as a man (circa 1900) in order to attend a
Jewish religious school for would-be rabbis. Although
her father had taught her the Talmud before he died,
technically the teaching of the Talmud to women was
prohibited by custom. Yentl assumes the identify of her
late brother, Anshel, and enrolls in the school.

Yentl becomes friends
with fellow student Avigdor (Patinkin), who is engaged
to a girl named Hadass. When Hadass’ family decides the
marriage between Hadass and Avigdor should be called off
due to the insanity that ran in Avigdor’s family, it is
decided that Hadass should marry Yentl instead. At the
same time, Yentl and Avigdor begin having feelings for
each other. In the end, however, Avigdor gets back with
Hadass, and Yentl moves to the USA where she can be more
free to learn the Talmud.